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Tag Archives: Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President

The next presidential election is November 8, 2016. As of this minute, there are 332 days until then. A lot can happen in 332 days.

There is a saying: “History repeats.” That means things happen and similar things happen again. There is another saying that believes if you do not learn from history (i.e.: remember the mistakes), then you are doomed to repeat history. The key to both axioms is “history.”

While there are some who love history and make good grades in school, taking history classes, most people are bored with all the dates, names, and things that happened in the past (usually long ago). Well, it is time for a history lesson, so try to take some notes.

In 1972, Richard Milhous Nixon won reelection for a second term as president of the United States of America. He won in a landslide, getting 60.7% of the vote and 520 of 537 electoral votes (520 – 17).

By August 9, 1974, less than two years after being inaugurated on January 20, 1973, Richard Nixon resigned as president. He was the first and only American president to resign in office.

As far as historic things happening, it is best to write that down: “the first and only president to resign in office.”

Add below that and underline: History repeats!!!

Now the reason Richard Nixon resigned was a complex thing called Watergate, and it would bore you to tears to read about that here; so just know that a dirty little secret became exposed and in the process of Nixon trying to keep that secret hidden, he made so many people mad that they threatened to impeach him. That threat made him resign.

Up till that time only one U.S. president had ever faced the impeachment process; but Bill Clinton became number two. History repeats.

Now the thing about Nixon’s resignation was he still faced the threat of a trial for lying to important people and also possible criminal actions; but while Nixon was flying away to his Californian exile, his Vice President made a public speech, in which he granted Nixon a pardon for all his past actions. That V.P. was Gerald Ford.

Now stay with me here all you youngsters, because Gerald Ford is important to understand. He was a long-time Senator, but he had only been Vice President since December 6, 1973. That was only 246 days serving under Richard Nixon. Remember, a lot can happen in 332 days.

Richard Nixon’s running mate in both the 1968 and 1972 elections was Spiro Theodore Agnew. When Nixon was elected both times, so was Agnew. However, on October 10, 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned from office, due to admitting to the crime of tax evasion.

He had served as Nixon’s second-term Vice President for 283 days. After Agnew’s resignation, amid the build-up of the Watergate scandal, Tricky Dick had no V.P. for 56 days. Yep, a lot can happen in 332 days.

After Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford automatically became the president, but then he had no Vice President. Between August 9, 1974 and December 19, 1974 (131 days) the country had no one backing up the president. It was on December 19, 1974 that Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was approved by Congress to be the 41st Vice President of the United States. However, that is where you have to realize that for the first time in American history neither the President or the Vice President had been elected by the general population to their offices. No one had cast a vote for a Ford-Rockefeller ticket, prior to them becoming the leaders of this nation.

Write that down: “the first time in American history neither the President of Vice President had been elected.”

Now write down and underline: History repeats!!!

You need to be prepared for anything to happen at this point in American history. Barack Obama could resign in office, leaving pal Joe Biden to become President. At this point, who needs a reason to resign? Things ARE that bad, whether or not we know it publicly. Danger is all about us.

If Obama resigns, expect hidden plots and plans to go into action. Joe Biden might nominate Bernie Sanders for Vice President. Maybe Biden picks Hillary, before any criminal stuff comes out about her email server and national security breeches. Who knows? I doubt either would be approved by Congress in time for the November election; but if a Republican wins in 2016, then a happy Congress might say, “Go ahead Bernie. Have fun.”

Rather than go into the Iranian Hostage history now (look it up), they did not release the hostages until the minute Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, January 20, 1981. I expect Iran to make some history repeating actions if a Republican is elected, only prior to the inauguration date. Look up the history of Pearl Harbor and think: “Surprise attack.” Remember history repeats.

If Hillary Clinton wins in November 2016 <shudder>, she might be impeached over the Benghazi cover-up (a Watergate-like history repeat). That same issue could lead to Barack Obama having impeachment threaten against him, setting up a Nixon-like resignation. Who can say for sure at this point. Hindsight is always 20/20, but foresight can at least see the fuzzy shapes of what is coming.

The point is not to impeach anyone in office now and set up a repeat of a President and Vice President that were placed in power by Congress.

There is something important about to happen. Everyone senses it coming, but no one can put their finger on what it is. Just don’t be doomed to repeat that history. Be prepared, not surprised.